1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a conveyor belt fabricated using plastics such as acetal resin and ABS resin, a method for manufacturing the conveyor belt, and a conveyor apparatus which employs the conveyor belt.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are a variety of conventional transferring conveyor belts including textile ones, ones made of fabric coated with resin, ones composed of combinations of spiral wires, ones composed of combinations of spiral wires and rods, ones composed of belt element pieces in which rods are interconnected serially, and ones composed of rods wherein the ends of the rods overlap. These different types of conventional conveyor belts are used according to individual applications, considering the advantages and disadvantages of each type.
A conventional conveyor belt constituted by U-shaped belt element pieces joined with rods inserted in connecting holes, and the conventional belts constituted by rods with the ends thereof overlapping serially to join them are advantageous in that they allow a large space to be easily secured and permit easy cleaning since the carrying surfaces thereof are composed of rods. Therefore, these types of conventional conveyor belts have been extensively used in such applications as cooling, drying, and washing.
In addition, those types of conveyor belts allow sprocket teeth to engage with the rods so as to permit sprocket-based drive.
The sprocket drive prevents slippage from occurring and enables driving without applying high tension to the belts, thus high strength conveyor apparatuses including rolls are not needed.
For conventional conveyor belts, metallic materials such as stainless steel have been frequently employed for strength, ease of fabrication, and corrosion resistance during use.
In order to provide the carrying surface with strength, metals such as stainless steel are used for the rods and the belt element pieces in most cases. Metals have been used for belt element pieces composed of bent plates or rods interconnected by overlapping ends one after another because the materials need to be plastically deformed to the required shapes.
Metallic conveyor belts are advantageous in that they are strong, however, they are extremely heavy and difficult to handle when installing, removing, or repairing them. Employing stainless steel has also not been successful in completely preventing the occurrence of rust.
Another disadvantage is that each rod has to be welded, hooked, and bent to secure it, requiring much time and effort.